Texans serious about taking Super Mario???

It makes the most sense, IMO.

 

You gotta admit. The Texans are in a tough spot. Super Mario is an awesome talent, but they just gave Weaver that hefty contract.

Personally, I think it's a ploy to help contract negotiations with Bush.

 

You have to look at a prospect as good as Mario Williams. I don't think they are really considering taking him but it would be nice to see a great pass rusher on the Texans defense. I am tired of quarterbacks having all day to throw against us.

 

Actually it was the Texans insisting it's not a ploy....John McClain (who wrote that article) was on the radio this morning saying that it's all posturing for Bush's agent and other teams that might be interested in trading up for Williams.

 

Another way to look at it is like this. What happens if on draft day we get an incredible offer and trade down to 4. Then, we'd be in a position to take Mario...wouldnt it be the smart move to talk to the guy now and get to know him a little better before you draft him and invest so much into him?

If we stay put at #1, we are taking Bush. Looking at these other prospects is just a way to cover our backs in case a curveball is delivered on draft day.

 

Exactly...these front office guys are payed a lot of money to be prepared for nearly every contingency come draft day. They don't want to pull a Minnesota Vikings and miss their slot.

 

The Texans have agreed to contract terms with veteran safety Michael Stone, who played at New England last season.


Is he good?

 

Good post. The real trade offers aren't going to come in until the day of the draft, the Texans need to be ready for those and have other target players in mind IF they trade down.

Like resdawg said, if we keep the pick, we'll get Bush. But if there is a way of trading down, picking up some picks as well as a star player (VY, Brick, Super Mario) it is something the Texans will have to consider.

 

His numbers went up fairly dramatically with New England last year. But in terms of his actual stats, he doesn't look much better than the guys we have now. I thought other than a washed up marcus coleman, our young guys at safety showed a bunch of promise last year.

 

It's basically how Orlando Pace used us to get a contract done and raise his value to the Rams. We are using Super Mario to get a contract done with Bush and lower his cost.

The Texans can't use VY in this situation because it would get Texans fans hopes up and would piss off a lot of people, including Vince, when they realized he was being used. Last thing you want is a pissed off Vince playing you twice a year with the Titans.

 

no. if you dont bring him in, then other teams know who you will be drafting....even though the whole world knows we're taking reggie bush, texans are tryin not to make it so obvious....

 

They are sending signals that they may be interested in trading down if the right deal presents itself. Just giving themselves plenty of options. If we drafted RB and then somebody like NY or GB offered us their pick plus a pile of other picks, we'd have to look at it very hard, especially if they offered next year's #1 and #2 along with this year's #1 and #2.

 

Anything short of Bush or Young would be a dissapointment.

 

i agree, but maybe i am just buying into all the hype.

 

Williams is the man most likely >to succeed: NFL DRAFT FIRST IN A SERIES
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/12/2006

You can have your Reggie Bush, your Matt Leinart, Vince Young, or Vernon Davis. If there is one player to put your money on in this year's draft - the one player most likely to make an immediate and long impact in the NFL - it would have to be North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams.

At 6-feet-7 and 295 pounds, Williams runs a 4.7 in the 40, which is faster than some tight ends and linebackers. He is strong and powerful and can play the run as well as the pass. In short, he's the complete package at defensive end, the likes of which don't come around very often.

"There hasn't been a guy like him, with his size and ability, since maybe Julius Peppers," said one AFC defensive line coach.

Make no mistake, Williams likes the Peppers comparisons.

"It's actually an honor," Williams said. "To be compared to somebody like that, I take that very highly. I'm thankful."

Williams has earned the comparisons to the Carolina Panthers defensive end through his imposing size - and his all-around play. He was a freshman All-American in 2003 for the Wolfpack, registering five sacks and 13 tackles for loss. As a sophomore in 2004, he was a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference pick, with six sacks and 15 tackles for loss. But he really broke through last season as a junior, with 14 1/2 sacks and 24 tackles for loss, earning team MVP honors.

All the while in college, Williams kept bulking up. He gained 20 pounds before the '05 season, but was even more effective as a pass rusher.

"I'm just out there and come off the ball," Williams said. "It's second nature. It's my instincts - something that I do."

But it's not as if Williams' career football goal has always been rushing the passer. No, try rushing - the football.

"I wanted to play running back," he said. "But I guess I was a little too big for that."

Well, not in high school.

"My senior year of high school (and) about half of the end of my senior year, they put me at running back, and I was lighting it up," Williams said. "Big guys always want to touch the ball and run around. I had a chance to do that, and it was a great feeling, something I really enjoyed. ... I never got a chance to carry the ball in college."

Williams was about 6-6, 250 as a high school running back. He gained about 10-15 pounds during his freshman and sophomore years in college, before hitting 295 last season at N.C. State.

Williams hasn't ruled out putting on even more weight, and topping 300.

"I just feel like no matter how much I weigh, as long as the results are still there - I'm as fast or faster - it's better that way," Williams said.

So far, the extra weight hasn't slowed him. A scary thought, considering Williams - after turning pro a year early - is only 20 years old and still a bit raw.

Because of his size, Williams is equally comfortable playing in a 4-3 alignment or the 3-4, which demands bigger ends.

"It's all about the team," Williams said. "Put me where I fit it. ... I played defensive tackle, outside linebacker, and defensive end (last) year. And I moved up and down the line."

And who knows? Peppers has caught some passes in the NFL, lining up at wide receiver in goal-line situations. Maybe Williams can line up there, too, or even at tailback.

"If they're going to compare me to him, you'd think they'd let me do it," Williams said, laughing. "We did have a couple plays set up like that. But I never got the opportunity to do that this past year."

Somehow, the "simple" acts of harassing quarterbacks and stuffing the run should be enough for Williams to earn his keep in the NFL.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sp...enDocument&highlight=2,"mario"+AND+"williams"

 

I have heard over and over again that the Texans are willing to trade down but their asking price to the Jets is just rediculas so it probally will not happen.

We are either taking Bush or we will rape the Jets.

 

I would enjoy either scenario...take Bush or rape the Jets and draft Mario. Charlie couldnt possibly mess this up.

 

I wrote this in another thread, a defensive end can be an anchor for your entire defense for years. not an outlandish idea.

 

Top priority for Texans? Court Bush


By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

MARIO Williams? The Texans are pulling our leg, right?

This entire offseason has been about giving David Carr a chance to succeed, and all of a sudden they're considering using the No. 1 pick on a defensive end?

They're overthinking this thing. Mario Williams shouldn't even be in the mix. Taking anyone other than Reggie Bush would be silly.

I know, I know. I've been on the Vince Young bandwagon since the Rose Bowl. Vince Young wins games. He won in high school and college. He'll win in the NFL.

But the Vince Young-Reggie Bush-David Carr debate is tiresome. Time to move on.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak believes he can win a championship with Carr as his quarterback. He deserves a chance.


Give Carr supporting cast
Unlike the previous administration, Kubiak apparently intends to give Carr some help. He plans to coach him up and give him real offensive tools and a quarterback-friendly system. Bush has to be part of the deal.

Yes, the Texans have had a nice offseason. They've added a first-rate wide receiver in Eric Moulds and a solid tight end in Jeb Putzier.

Those guys were acquired to make up for lousy draft decisions in past years. The Texans shouldn't compound those mistakes by making another one.

If bringing in a defensive end is a negotiating tactic aimed at lowering Bush's price, it's a dumb one. Yes, No. 1 picks are expensive. Lousy teams have no choice but to pay up.

Bush is such a rare talent the Texans are lucky to have an opportunity to get him. Some years there's a tough debate about all the top picks. There are no questions about Bush. He's going to be a star.

He makes the Texans better on a variety of levels. He makes them more interesting, too.


More cash than an ATM
Even if the Texans aren't good next season, they'll be worth watching because Bush might break one. They haven't had a player like this.

Memo to Bob McNair's inner businessman: Reggie Bush will make you loads of cash. He'll sell tickets, suites, sponsorships and merchandise.

David Carr has outfitted his kids in Reggie Bush gear.

It's one thing to pass on Young to take Bush. Young would mean parting company with Carr before finding out how good he is. Such a divorce wouldn't be pleasant.

Bush is a simple fit. He arrives, joins Carr in the backfield, and things roll. Meanwhile, Young will need time.

And the Texans have invested four years and millions of dollars in Carr. With a new coaching staff and an array of new talent, this will be his opportunity. It never should have taken this long.

Passing up Young (and Bush) for a defensive player wouldn't make any sense. It wouldn't do anything for Carr.

Bush isn't going to cure everything that's wrong with the Texans, but he'll go a long way toward giving them an identity.

For the past three seasons, defensive coordinators have focused their attention on wide receiver Andre Johnson. They knew that if they stopped him they would stop the Texans.

Domanick Davis is a serviceable NFL back, but he's not a game- breaker. With Johnson, Moulds and Bush, the Texans will have three players capable of quick scores.

Johnson might benefit as much as Carr. His ticket to another Pro Bowl could be punched on draft day.

As for the defense, there are plenty of picks after the first round. Those can be used for defensive help.

By the way, who is in charge of the Texans these days? Whatever happened to Dan Reeves? One day he's sitting beside owner Bob McNair. Now he has vanished. Starting to feel like The Sopranos, isn't it?

It also appears Charley Casserly might leave after the draft. Just our luck. One solid offseason, and the guy can't get out the door fast enough. Isn't that the way it is with some people?

Maybe McNair is running the personnel department. He showed up at Young's pro day in Austin and stood there with the rest of the scouts.

McNair eventually will learn that NFL owners who attempt to run their personnel departments almost always fail. But if the man is determined to be Danny Snyder, he needs to start throwing sawbucks around like Snyder does in Washington.

What McNair should do today is stop playing games. He should telephone Bush's guy and open negotiations. Get a deal done and start the marketing campaign.

Some people will be upset that Young isn't coming to the Texans. They'll get over it if Carr plays well and after Bush makes a couple of big plays.

First, though, the Texans have to get them together. They can start that process today with one telephone call.

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